British Association for the Advancement of Science – Collections on the History of Science (1830s-1970s) inside the archive wileydigitalarchives.com/british-association-for-the-advancement-of-science/ 1 Introduction Introduction to the British Association for the Advancement of Science—Collections on the History of Science (1830s-1970s) Archive The British Association for the Advancement of Science was founded in 1831. Its aim: to transform science from a self-funded endeavor of the wealthy into a government funded professional “Our vision is of activity at the heart of social and economic development. This archive connects the works, thoughts and interactions of the most influential scientists of the time, from Darwin to Ramsay, and a world where documents the history of British science from the 1830s through the 1970s across disciplines and universities. science is at the The BAAS archive is complemented by a wealth of material drawn from leading British universities. Over ninety percent of the content within this unique archive has not been available digitally until now. heart of culture The materials within the archive document 150 years of scientific discovery, Britain’s emergence as a center for science, and provide and society” an insider’s perspective that is invaluable to researchers. This look book provides a window into some of the stories that shaped modern science. – British Science Association To learn more about these and other stories in The British Association for the Advancement of Science—Collections on the History of Science (1830s-1970s) archive, visit wileydigitalarchives. com/british-association-for-the-advancement-of-science. 2 Professionalization of Science FILE THIS UNDER Advancement of Science, Theology, Progress, Government, Gentrification, History of Science, Founding Societies, Professionalizing Science HISTORICAL CONTEXT From its beginning, the British Association sought to define itself as fundamentally different from other learned societies, particularly the Royal Society, by calling itself the Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS). Science historian Jack Morrell describes the BAAS as “the first national pressure group for professionalizing science.” In 1830’s Britain, science was dominated by wealthy individuals who often viewed the scientific world through a lens of religion and theology. Writing in 1830, Charles Babbage published a paper on what he viewed as “the decline of science in England”. Physicist David Brewster, one of the founding members of the BAAS, wrote to Babbage that his paper was “the most heart-breaking subject that I know” and that “this is the moment to do something effectual, and that an association should be organized for the reviving of science in England”. As a result, the British Association for the Advancement of Science was founded in 1831. The British scientific community joined forces to transform the scientific profession from a pastime of the wealthy to an organized center aiming to share knowledge, “Printed Material for the 1924 Annual Meeting, 1923-1924.” Archive of educate the public and advance science. the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1923–1924. Wiley Digital Archives. 3 WHO Sir Oliver Lodge WHY HE’S NOTABLE British physicist and writer Sir Oliver Lodge (1851-1940), the very first Professor of Physics at the University of Liverpool, was best known for his contributions to the development of wireless telegraphy. He perfected a device called a coherer, which detected Morse code signals transmitted by radio wave and enabled them to be transcribed on paper by an inker. He is also remembered as one of the first large-scale public educators, whose lectures and theatrical live experiments often drew crowds of thousands. Lodge was a member of several local bodies, as his spiritual and political beliefs brought him into contact with people of many different backgrounds and social classes. Having authored over 1500 publications, his efforts to engage with and educate the general public through weekly lectures distinguishes him as one of history’s first great science communicators. In his later years, Lodge, along with his friend Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, became a keen investigator and writer on spiritualism and psychic phenomena following the death of his youngest son during World War I in 1915. Lodge, Oliver. Photograph of Sir Oliver Lodge Together with the [Original] Negative and a [Modern] Print Taken from the Same. 1930. Wiley Digital Archives. Related items & special collections in the BAAS Archive: The Oliver Lodge Papers contain 30 of Lodge’s research notebooks up to 1912 (including some from his student days), photographs, loose notes, printed material, and letters from correspondents including Lodge, Davies, Larmor and Fitzgerald. Sources: https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/42ee37aa-f294-323c-8451-157ae24b4e14 https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oliver-Joseph-Lodge 4 Science and Policy FILE THIS UNDER British History, Political Science, Global Health Policy, General History Research, Health Education, Public Health, History of Science, Social Factors in Health, Funding of Science, International Relations, Social Studies, History of Industrial Design HISTORICAL CONTEXT Policy has influenced the funding of public works and science for thousands of years. Throughout history, the systems of economic support for scientists and their work have been important determinants of the character and pace of scientific research. The ancient foundations of the sciences were initially driven by practical and religious concerns as well as the pursuit of philosophy. Early advances in areas like mathematics, astronomy and engineering were byproducts of more practical and immediate goals, like the creation of the calendar for agricultural purposes. As the pace of technological progress increased before and during the Industrial Revolution, most scientific research was carried out by individual inventors using their own funds. In the 18th and 19th centuries, however, many disciplines began to professionalize, and scientific investigation began to be more predominantly tied to government and institutional funding. As science was professionalized, a number of societies and scientific organizations were created to enable scientific research and “The Advancement of Science Vol. II.” BAAS Monographs, Printed in discovery, facilitate the spread of information and influence England at the Ballantyne Press Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & Co. Ltd., 1942–1943. Wiley Digital Archives. policy decisions. 5 WHAT The Association of Scientific Workers WHY IT’S NOTABLE Associations of scientific workers concerned with the problems of scientists in general, in addition to specialists in particular techniques, began with the foundation of the National Union of Scientific Workers in the United Kingdom in 1918. Originally a trade union, the National Union of Scientific Workers changed its name to the Association of Scientific Workers (AScW) in 1927. The Association of Scientific Workers largely represented laboratory and technical workers in universities, the National Health Service and in chemical and metal manufacturing. It was the union for scientists “with a conscience” and could name half-a-dozen Nobel Prize winners amongst its membership. In the 1930s, the Association of Scientific Workers joined forces with the BAAS to lobby the state department for increased coordination of scientists, extensive coordination around graduate employment of scientists, international outreach of science and the employment of foreign nationals in scientific endeavors during World War II. The success of the Association, with its young and widely diverse membership, made a deep impression in many countries around the world, leading to the foundation of the World Federation of Scientific Workers in 1946. “British Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting Dublin September 4th-11th 1957 Programme.” BAAS Monographs, Printed in Great Britain by Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & Co. Ltd., 4–11 Sept. 1957. Wiley Digital Archives. Related Items & Special Collections in the BAAS Archive: Papers, files, reports and meeting minutes related to science and policy in various Sources: organizations, including the Association of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_science_policy Scientific Workers, The British Science Guild, The https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Scientific_Workers Indian Science Congress Association and more. 6 19th – 20th Century Physics FILE THIS UNDER British History, Physics, General Science Studies, General History Research, History of Physical Science, History of Science, Funding of Science, International Relations HISTORICAL CONTEXT Physics, the branch of science whose primary objects of study are matter, energy and force, is one of the most fundamental scientific disciplines. Its main goal is to understand how the universe behaves, and it is concerned with all aspects of nature on both the macroscopic and submicroscopic levels. During the 19th century, there were momentous advances in the field of physics, from areas such as mechanics and electromagnetism to the formulation of the laws of thermodynamics and the atomic theory of matter. By the end of the 19th century, physics had evolved to the point at which classical mechanics could cope with highly complex problems involving macroscopic situations, thermodynamics and kinetic theory. Geometrical and physical optics could be understood in terms of electromagnetic waves and the conservation